My intention for this piece of writing is to share my story as an Asian American woman growing up in a middle class immigrant family in California with what one would call a normal upbringing and expectations of what the “American Dream” for my life should look like… and how I got it all, and then in less than a year — I lost it all.

This is my story of how I turned my ever evolving dreams into the new foundation of my own reality.

In writing this piece and sharing it publicly, I ended up challenging myself to be vulnerable and truthful about some of the deepest parts of me. And a part of me had some hesitation in being so raw, but I remind myself that it isn’t about me, it is about the larger collective. I share this in earnest and hope that someone may resonate and learn something from it. So in service and gratitude, I share my journey.